


Still Breathing

by marrowandchicken



Category: DreamSMP (you'll see it later), Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: My First Work in This Fandom, Other, that flowershop au, yeah thats it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:46:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28930479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marrowandchicken/pseuds/marrowandchicken
Summary: Beef and Etho are lost.Fundy questions his loyalty.Zed misses them.They struggle, bleed, and sweat.Yet, they’re still breathing.A.k.a. The flowershop au marrow and chicken cannot shut up about
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), but its not - Relationship, you can call this a beeftho fanfic
Kudos: 5





	Still Breathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! marrow here.  
> so, I just wanna let you know a few things before you read this:
> 
> -this fanfic is being written by two people (me and chicken), so if you find out that the writing style is different in some chapters that's why  
> -it may take us about a month to upload a single chapter, depending on how lazy we are   
> -there's about 6 different perspectives: Beef, Etho, Zedaph, Impulse, Tango and Fundy (Mainly focused on Beef's and Zed's)   
> -this can be considered a beeftho fanfic, I don't really care. But we're not shipping the real people here, only their "personas" or the characters they play. 
> 
> I'll add more notes in here just in case. Other than that, take care y'all and remember to breathe!
> 
> -Marrow

[ Hermitcraft, mid-season 5 ]

[ VintageBeef ]

Beef wished he could see the view with both eyes. 

The sky above him and Etho looked like threads of lime green and cyan and dabs of garnet ribbon, weaved and fastened together like a cape bristling in the wind. The threads slowly danced, perhaps performing a waltz, in the faded orchid-colored sky. Earlier, Etho described the bright lights as strokes of paint on a canvas, or vibrant ink floating in the water, creating random illustrations like bloodless clouds shifting overhead.

Luckily for them, there were no clouds to block the beautiful view. 

Only just them, the fluttering snowflakes collecting together on Beef’s head and beard, the beautiful northern lights, and the soft tune of a ukulele being played by Etho. 

“How are your fingers not cold?” Beef asked, tilting his head to see the little wooden guitar cradled in Etho’s hands. “And how are you playing that?”

Etho put his playing to a pause, shrugged, then continued with his song all in 3 seconds. 

Beef stared at his close friend. The ukulele he held harmonized a quiet song. The notes were soft and each string was plucked delicately as if it were a flower petal. The song felt nostalgic and memorable, despite the fact Beef never heard it before. 

“What song are you playing?” 

Etho glanced at Beef. “ _ いのち の 記憶, _ ” he answered flawlessly.

“Uh, come again?” 

The ninja didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he was gazing upon the flowing lights, humming along to the melody of the ukulele.

_ This weirdo,  _ Beef thought for a second with a goofy grin. He looked back at the colorful weavings in the sky. 

For several moments, they watched the Aurora Borealis slowly dance, like a small child waving a stick with streamers attached to the end. 

It somewhat reminded Beef of Mindcrack. 

Those memories back in Mindcrack were just nothing but endless nostalgia fuel, even if it was just no little than a year ago.

Those memories reminded him how he wanted to go back in time, go back to those days with Etho and Pause, and just be there. Living in the moment. Dancing in the fields. Be younger than now. That’s all he wanted. 

There was a pause while he recollected those dear, past instances. 

“Those days were like my whole childhood to me” Beef accidentally mumbled out loud. 

In the corner of his eye, he saw Etho glance at him, with one of his “ _ is the old man talking to himself again” _ looks. 

“Well,” the ninja cleared his throat, shaking out the snow out of his hair like a husky. He set the ukulele down on the snowy ground, making an outline underneath. “There is a reason why I brought you here, y’know.”

“So you didn’t take me here to see the Northern Lights?” Beef said, purposely sounding suspicious. 

Etho let out a warm laugh. Beef could see his breath float off into the air, even though Etho was wearing his signature black mask. “Ha! That was all by coincidence, actually.” 

“You’re kidding.” 

“Seriously, I was not expecting  _ this _ .” He gestured to the moving lights. 

“Yeah, right. You totally did not plan this and specifically research when and where the newest Northern Lights would come out to take me out on a-"

“Ok ok, you know I would totally do that to out-surprise you like that, but really,” Etho said, shifting himself to properly face Beef. “I wanted to tell you something. Something I haven’t told anyone yet.”

“Oh! Alright then, I’m all ears. Go ahead.” Beef said warmly, in a tone he only used just for Etho. But before the ninja could answer, he realized that he would regret asking. 

“I’ve decided that I’m leaving Hermitcraft,” Etho announced with a hidden smile. 

  
  


-

  
  


[hermitcraft, 10 days before present day]

  
  
  


Etho’s base looked absolutely horrendous from above. 

It’s uncomfortably messy; floating rooms with crazy but warm color palettes, leaves and vines hanging on most of the doorways and walls. Of course, Etho never meant for the exterior to be pretty. He liked how weird it was. He wanted his season seven base to be entirely focused on the indoors, each and every room making you feel like you’re walking through a garden-themed museum. Regardless of the lovely interior, Beef still wanted to put high, high walls around it so he didn’t have to see how ugly it was. 

Landing in the parrot painting room (nobody really knows what it’s called), Beef took a moment to check his apron pocket, making sure his gift for Etho didn’t fall out during the flight. 

Then the butcher took a good look around him. 

Just like from the view outside, the ninjas base was a mess. 

Scattered shulker boxes and a variety of items sat on the floor, looking like they were just waiting to be used again. A compass, lots of crumpled paper, a few crumbs of bread, concrete blocks as chairs, even an unfinished pumpkin pie sitting still on a carpet that was ominously too close to the invading plants. Yet, it all matched in some way. Perhaps it was the clash of warm colors muscling together, or the fact that it made the base feel like nothing but Etho's and Etho’s alone. 

Speaking of which.

“Hey E!” he called out to the empty halls. “Etho? Ethooo? Are you home?” 

No response.

Beef bit his lip, a little disappointed in himself.  _ Maybe I should’ve told him that I was coming.  _ He began walking. 

  
  


After a few minutes of wandering through his massive base and tripping over random barrels and chests, he found Etho half-asleep lying on the floor of his gazebo that overlooked the parrot painting. 

“Hey man,” Beef said, taking a seat on the stairs that lead up to the wooden pavilion. Like some of the platforms nearby, it creaked when he rested his weight on it. Maybe Etho needed to actually fix that. “How are you doing?”

Etho gave him a thumbs up, still lying on the floor and with a faded look in his eyes. That made Beef immediately think that the ninja was brainstorming, probably all night. He was lying on patches of lined and scratched paper, reinforcing Beef’s prediction. More dispersed pieces of paper were drifting away through the holes of the gazebo, which explained the mess of crumpled stationery down below. 

“Alright then,” the butcher said, shrugging. 

Etho dropped the thumbs up.

“Well, I haven’t seen you in a while,” Beef said, reaching into his apron pocket. “So I felt like visiting you, like old times.” He raised an eyebrow. “But reversed. And I also got some of your favorite potato wedges…” 

Lazily, Etho held out a gloved hand towards Beef, demanding for one with a pasty smile. Sighing, the butcher took a red box out of his pocket and opened it. The box contained a dozen of warm potato wedges, fresh from the oven. Etho, being the smug and somehow still humble gremlin he is, took a good handful, singled out one into his other hand. The ninja muttered out his thanks, then pulled down his mask to eat. 

“Hey, at least sit up,” Beef said, taking a wedge from the box for himself. “You’re going to choke if you eat lying down.”

Letting out a groan, Etho sat up and scootched himself next to Beef, with the potato wedge, no longer alone in his left hand, but clenched between his teeth. 

“Is there any other reason that you’re visiting me?” The ninja asked, using his words for once. His voice was raspy, somewhat deep, and sunken. Maybe he was talking to himself too much again. He gulped the slice down, and put another one into his mouth. 

“No, not really. I just wanted to see you again.” 

“Really? Ok then.”

They sat in silence for a moment, watching the sun slowly set as birds chirped and flapped nearby. 

Finally, Etho spoke again. “You started the Podzol Party, right?” His voice was almost silent, in a tone as if he was telling Beef another one of his secrets. 

Beef nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Well,” Etho said, not directly looking at his close friend. “I wanna join you guys. I’m just kinda getting… what’s the word?”

“Bored?” Beef guessed, a little bit hesitant. "Uninterested?"

“No, no. And it’s not burnout either.” It’s as if the ninja read Beef’s mind. 

Etho snapped his fingers. “Oh! Tired, that’s the word. it’s just tired. Yeah, yeah. I’m just getting tired.” 

_ Well, that’s basically the same thing, _ Beef turned to his fellow hermit, worried. “Of what?” 

“The war, the resistance. HEP. Of course.” 

“But why join the podzol party? Then you’d be staying in the war still. Why not just betray the resistance or something?

“Already done that. I was a spy, until Scar stopped paying me after like, what? 2 reports?” Etho snorted. “Besides, I just wanted to be with you like back in the old Team Canada days. That of course, if that’s okay with you.” 

Beef almost blushed, for some reason. Maybe it was the mention of their old team. The butcher hasn’t seen Pause in some time. 

He shook his head. “You’re kidding again, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“And besides, those reasons are kinda dumb. Give me a real answer.”

“Alright,” Etho huffed, defeated. The hermit rested his head on his knee, staring at the now-glimmering-purple sunset. “Well, you know I joined the resistance for fun, right?” Beef nodded again. Everything Etho does is solely just for fun. That’s his only reason for his obsession with potato wedges: he just thought it was funny how weird they looked. “I became a spy just for more drama. For more, suspense. I thought it’d be more fun, and it was, I guess, for like a couple of days. But lately, the guys started taking it seriously.”

The sun felt like it disappeared. But the warm sunlight still touched Beef’s face like a gentle hand, brushing his cheek. Yet, it felt foreign. 

“What do you mean?”

“They’ve considered... questionable things to do to win the turf war. Like for example-” he hesitated for a second ”-killing Scar. Behead him. Xb even suggested more gore-y things.” Beef’s eyes widened in shock. “Ren and I tried telling them that what they’re saying is absurd. I don’t know if they listened. I swear, all that mycelium is really getting to their brains.”

“That’s… crazy.” Beef said, taking a second as he attempted to find his words. “Why… why would they think that? It’s just a game right?”

“You get it.” The ninja shook his head. Beef could see a glint of sadness and disappointment in his eyes. “Look, I don’t want this season to be another… two seasons ago. I like this one. It’s fun. It has potential. And I have so many more projects and things I wanna do.”

He looked directly at beef. 

“So I’m gonna try my best to keep it light-headed again, alright? Just like you and Hypno.” He stood up, stretching for a moment. Etho looked back at his close friend. “And I never want to change that.” 

Beef smiled. “Pinky promise?”

“what? Are you serious? You’d really want me to promise that?” 

“You said it yourself Etho. Besides, I like it when you sound like an anime character.” 

_ W H A T,  _ Etho gave him another one of his iconic glares. The older hermit could feel the purple aura emerging from the ninja's body like a skunk dispensing their smelly defenses. Beef shied away from his unnerving, blank eyes. It was terrifying, but derpy in some way. He’s never going to tell him that. 

“Huh? Say that again, I dare you," Etho chuckled. 

“I mean, you dress up as that Kakashi guy every day so-“

“Oh pssshhh. Says the guy who has fake blood on his stinky apron. Do you even wash that thing?”

“Yes, I do! Besides, It’s not fake blood. It would’ve come out of my apron long ago. A zombie nearly killed me on my first night years ago and its blood got all over me. I just wasn’t able to get any water to wash it, you ass.”

Etho gasped, acting offended. “hey, watch your language!” 

“Oh jeez, it’s not a big deal. Now just give me that promise already.”

“Why do you even want me to do that? It’s kinda weird.”

“Why not? Besides, I promise you a lot of things and you barely give anything back. It’d be fun to do so, anyway. I’d love to see you acting like a cheesy protagonist.” 

“Geh. You’re so childish for an old man.”

“IM NOT OLD" 

After a few minutes of dissing and trash talk, Etho finally agreed with a sigh. 

Beef took Etho’s pinky and they intertwined for a moment, just before the duo broke into what seemed to be hours upon hours of laughter.

"Hey," Beef said. The moon was high and glowing brightly, casting shadows over the two friends. It was a couple of hours since the Canadians were talking nonstop. A plethora of words they shared, something Beef never wants to stop. 

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to say, I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me this."

"What do you mean? I've always trusted you."

"Well, you don't act like it-"

Etho punched his friend's arm lightly. "Oh shut up, I'm trying to be genuine here." He shook his platinum-colored hair, removing the headband that covered his forehead. It revealed a small, faded scar that sat above Etho's brow. Beef knew that scar had been there ever since Beef met him in high school. Back then, he always said it looked like a Crescent moon. Etho thought it was an orange slice. "You know what? I'm glad you trust me too, Beef." 

They sat in silence, with a smile on both of their faces.

"If there's anything you need to tell someone, remember that I'm always open." Beef said. 

Etho gave him a fish bump. "Same goes for me."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


-

[hermitcraft, present day]

  
  


The rain continued to shower down the skies, drenching on Beef’s open glossy paths of his hacienda and his already messy hair. He looked up to see the fading grey horizon, already looking like an emerging storm. blinking out the raindrops out of his lashes, he tapped at his communicator, a watch no bigger than a notepad, waking it up to a start. 

A small rectangular hologram appeared, a miniature keyboard emerging up right after it. The screen was a shiny garnet fading into a warm medallion color. It looked brand as new like he got his moments ago. Yet, it was a bit glitched from the water interfering with the device. 3 messages in chat were already sent, by Ren. 

_ Renthedog whispers to you,  _ it read,  _ saw some hep members at etho’s base again when I was passing by _

_ Renthedog whispers to you: 2 there I think, couldnt catch their faces _

_ Renthedog whispers to you: how’s etho doing? _

Beef glanced at his friend, who was frantically stuffing his backpack with various items, a trace of panic in his heterochromia eyes. Naturally, this would be an unusual sight to anyone. 

It was a heart-aching pain and for Beef. 

Without letting the sentimental part of his brain get to him, He turned around and punched out the words on the keyboard. 

_ You whisper to Renthedog: getting ready. Thanks for everything man _

And just as quickly as he sent his response, Ren sent his.

_ Renthedog whispers to you: thats good to hear _

_ Renthedog whispers to you: And np  _

_ You whisper to renthedog: u sure u guys don’t want to come with? _

_ Renthedog whispers to you: yeah. Besides even if Hypno and I go it’s better to stay in pairs  _

_ Renthedog whispers to you: better not have the whole group captured at once like a flock of sheep _

Beef shuddered at those last words.  _ A flock of sheep.  _ Ren is right _. If we were all caught, who knows what both leaders will do.  _

_ Are we really just some stray sheep to them?  _

He looked back at Etho, who was finally slipping his backpack onto his back with ease. Unlike his last glance, Etho took notice of Beef staring at him. 

"Ready already?" Etho asked, getting up from his crouched position. Hastily, Beef typed in the words " _ thanks again :) _ ", sent it to Ren, then tapped his communicator to sleep. 

"Yep," he glanced at Etho's backpack. It was flat and pressed unto his back as if there was nothing there. "Have you got everything?

"Everything I need, at least."

"That better be enough."

"Yeah, I just needed to get some supplies and other stuff from my base before we get the end," Etho tilted his head. "Any news from Ren?"

"Hmh. He just whispered to me, 2 hep members are at your base.”

“Oh, snappers. That’s gonna be a problem.”

“I think we can handle it,” Beef tenderly patted Etho’s back with little force. “Right?” 

He looked away, hiding his eyes. His shoulders fell, as well as his breath. “Yeah. yeah.”

  
  


A pang of guilt was stabbed into Beef's chest.

He instinctively wanted to hide his remorse away, hide it away like a precious chest of diamonds and Netherite ingots and everything that shined, and tuck the feeling into the capsule of his heart and never let it out. 

But his pity for Etho couldn’t waver. It was like fighting a trained gladiator to the death. 

Beef’s head felt dizzy thinking about what Etho told him the morning before. 

He remembered he had felt joy when he was told that Etho was the first to tell him. He felt almost special, that Etho trusted him this much. But yet, that now quickly disappeared just as quickly as it came, when he revealed what he did. 

Of course, Beef knew that he would never do it on purpose, to hurt those the duo like that. 

But down in the depths of his soul, he doubted that. 

He really wished he didn’t. 

“Beef,” Etho cut in. Beef turned to look at him. The saddened shine of the ninja’s eyes seemed to fade a bit. “Figured out a plan.” 

The butcher could feel himself beaming. He was excited to hear it and didn’t mind Etho babbling. He would rather be distracted than to focus his thinking on heavier topics. “Tell me what you think, then we’ll go,” Etho said, returning a rare smile.

“I’m all ears.”

  
  
  
  


-

  
  
  
  


The sky never looked so much darker before. 

30 minutes into discussing their plan, the predicted rising storm arrived swiftly, the charcoal clouds reaching all the ends of Etho’s and Xisuma’s jungle. 

No more than a minute into their flight, thunder nearly struck Beef but instead chose a random cow stuck in a tree. 

Disregarding the lightning strikes, the rain never stopped pouring. Because of it, the Canadian duo looked like they jumped into the ocean, even their elytras shining more with the endless droplets landing on the periwinkle colored wings. 

“Here we are.” Pointing at the mess of a base just out of its sight, Etho took ahold of Beef’s hand with his free one, guiding him to the branches of a significantly tall jungle tree. They landed underneath the shelter of the tree on light feet, their elytras folding on their backs and wiping their faces from the heavy drizzle. 

Rummaging through his soaking thigh pocket, Etho pulled a miniature, aegean shulker box and placed it between them. Just as it landed, it expanded, then stopped, ending up about the size of Beef’s head. 

With a small knock, the box whirled around, opening and displaying its contents. 

Inside, there were a variety of options. 

Potions, all in shades of pink and purple, heathers and violets, amethysts and magentas, and even a hue of dark wine, sat in 3 perfect rows. Each one closed in random jars and jugs, vials and small urns, different heights and widths. However, they were no bigger than the length of the blue shulker, no smaller than the size of Etho’s palm. 

“Chose as many as you want,” the ninja smiled, picking out and giving Beef one, it filled the glass up to the brim with a lilac color and a familiar golden carrot scent. An invisibility potion _.  _ “Just not all of them.” 

“Hey! You stole these from my hacienda,” Beef whimpered. He took it, making a face. 

“Yeah, they were very helpful.” His partner erratically began to dig into the depths of the shulker, the bottles clinking together. 

“You owe me now.” 

“I know, I always do.” Clink clink clink. 

“Hey, give me some room!”

“It ain’t my fault your hands are so big.”

After bickering and foraging around the shulker, Beef took a potion of strength, two healing, and one of regen, and carefully dropped them into his jean pocket. Etho chose a batch of similar options, two healing, one strength, one splash potion of weakness, one swiftness, and one odd one out of the box. 

“Turtlemaster?” Beef squinted at the mauve liquid swirling around in the splash potion. The ninja was twirling it around his fingers carelessly as if it couldn’t spill from its reflective case. It could, and would, but Etho didn’t let it slither out of his grasp.

“What? It’s fun to use and super annoying, which is a bonus I may say.” The potion was slipped away, joining the rest of its brethren in Etho’s pocket. 

“It makes the worst headaches, you can barely move, and it makes you super heavy and I always have to carry you back inside because you become the definition of a banana slug after drinking it,” Beef stated. “And mixed with the potion of weakness, it makes you super sleepy. It’s basically booze but enhanced.” In all honesty, the butcher lowkey wished he didn’t know the side-effects and consequences of mixing potions together. He blamed Etho. 

“All fair points,” the ninja complemented. “Nevertheless of your suspicions, I’m still bringing it with me and totally using it!” 

“Don’t use it on me is all I’m asking.” 

Beef took the invisibility potion out of his side and decided to drop it in his apron pocket, which was closer to him and easier to grab, in his opinion. Meanwhile, Etho knocked on the shulker again, easing it to close, and shrunk it in his hands.

“Alright. Do we need a review on the plan?” Etho asked as he slid it back into his pocket, his gaze turning towards his base. 

“No, but do I really need to do that?”

“Haha, yeah. You totally do.”

“You just want my butt to be kicked, man.”

“That’s the plan!”

“Eh, fine. Anything for you because you’re my good friend, but just as long you show me that caramel square recipe you’ve been hogging after this.”

“If you properly carry the plan out, then it’s a deal.”

  
  
  
  


-

_ Creak.  _

Beef made sure not to put too much weight on his toes when he crept through the entrance of Etho’s base. Despite being invisible (he quickly checked his duration. 2 minutes left.), the sound of the creaks echoing could be the end of him, being defenseless with wearing no armor and only a sword in his hot bar.

_ Creak. _

_ Damn it, Etho. I love you, but you can be really problematic sometimes. _

Beef focused his gaze on the ground underneath him, picturing the ninja building the floors, then quickly moving onto the rest of the room. 

Each of the floorboards seemed loose, hasty to be built in, or careless to say. That wasn’t to comment on Etho being careless, he wasn’t, but he liked to be perceived as lazy. He wanted people to undermine him at first. A trait Beef never noticed until he was caught in Etho’s trap, like everyone else. 

_ Creak.  _

Suddenly, his face met a blade, far too close for comfort, and Beef swerves himself away, his back hitting the wall. Only his cheek was touched. Blood fell from the tiny wound, revealing himself to his opponent. 

In a glimpse, he saw the long blond locks, moving in sync with the slice of her sword. Her preferred outfit was the same but now covered in glistening Netherite armor, with an emblem Beef couldn’t catch engraved on the chest. 

“Got you,” False whispered in a low hush, sending a sickening chill down Beef’s spine. She hacked at his face again but Beef ducked. The sound of her sword cut the air. 

Rolling himself underneath then past False’s legs, getting on all fours, then to the heels of his feet, Beef fled from his pursuer, almost straggling to get his armor equipped. He felt a sharp slash at his back just as he pulled his chest plate over his head, protecting himself from False’s sword. Finally, Beef got his helmet on his head and forced his pounding legs to run faster.

He turned a corner, his heels slapping against the planks, hearing another slice echo through the hazy atmosphere, hearing False’s pants right behind him, hearing his heart beating through his chest like a drum. As he frantically ran, colors of green and brown and orange walls became blurs and smudges, barely even unrecognizable.

Then the paralleling sprints from false began to fade. Beef debated about spinning his head and finding out the whys but decided against his burning curiosity and continued to order himself to go faster. 

Suddenly, a sharp, familiar but foreign touch struck his right calf, and his legs promptly fell against his will. 

_ Get up, get up, _ Beef screamed, a few small tears swelling up from the hissing pain. His hands began to fade from the invisibility potion, revealing his beading sweat. Has it already been 3 minutes? Maybe they should’ve brewed up an 8 minu-Another abrupt stinging sensation stabbed at the same leg. He screamed again, but this time, out loud. 

“Don’t you dare try to run.” 

Weakly and slowly, with the pain throbbing in his leg, he managed to shift himself to face False. 

Her eyes were in slits, tired and faded into a grey teal, unlike her usual cerulean. Perhaps she was waiting there for more than 2 hours when Ren first reported their presence. In all honesty, Beef hoped False was getting some sleep. He didn’t want her to pull a Doc and overwork herself into trying to catch him and Etho. 

For a moment, Beef remembered her chest plate. He squinted again, finally being able to properly look at the emblem. It was a mix of cold colors, earthly shades, the same hues of a peacock’s feather. Observing more closely, or rather squinting some more, there was a grass block in the middle, floating in the sapphire background. Yet, it was surrounded by a pair of pale dismembered hands (Scar’s, perhaps?), one hovering over the top of the block, the other underneath it. One may say they were positioned in a way that it looked like they were holding the block up in the air, treating it as if it was an ancient object, to be protected and cared for. Or, what the option Beef liked the most, the hands were simply trying to grab it, to obtain it as if it was nothing more than a shiny diamond. 

False abruptly covered the badge and stopped Beef’s train of thought, and aimed her crossbow at his head, reminding him that he’s completely at her mercy. 

Beef’s eyes frantically searched for a possible escape plan, but he was cornered. Either he could try to get back up and run past False, or talk his way out of it. 

Or completely trust Etho. 

Well, he already made his choice. 

“Where is Etho?” she hissed, her voice shifting into a sneer at the ninja’s name. Beef’s heart began to pound louder than any drum he’d ever heard. Which isn’t a lot, but still. 

Beef decided to play dumb. “I don-”

“You do.” False rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb on me.”

_ Of course that never works,  _ Beef cursed his pounding head.  _ Damn you Hollywood and all of those fantasy and action genre-based books I read in eighth grade! When I needed you the most, you failed me!  _

“Look Beef, just tell me so we can get this over with. I don’t want to hurt you or Etho any longer.”  _ Oh.  _

Those words shook Beef to the core, yet he knew it shouldn’t surprise him, and it made him felt like a damned idiot. False was caring and sympathetic when she felt like it and showed it when she knew she needed to. And she was showing her sympathy to him, displaying it like a hidden treasure False hadn’t show to anyone else yet.

But Beef knew it was fake, although the caring side of his heart ached at her soft words, pleading that she was being truthful. He needed to play dumb still, he had to. 

“False, I really don’t know,” Beef made sure his voice was in that sad, puppy-like tone he used often on his Llamas. False didn’t seem to be affected. 

“Then why are you in his base and sneaking around? With an invisibility potion on top of that?” False’s voice grew sharper, like a needle digging into the skin. Then, it transitioned to a smoother state, realizing how that must’ve sounded. Like an owner cooing at their dog after scaring them, assuring them that they’re fine. “Please, Beef. Just tell me. It won’t hurt okay? Heck, I’ll never mention your name to Mayor Scar in the report, or if you want, I’ll help you join our ranks.” She stepped forward, lowering her weapon, resting the arrow’s feathers in her fingers. “We just need his location, and that’ll be it.” 

“But what about Etho?” Beef asked. He noticed that his breathing began to ease, his heartbeat slowing down. Even with a weapon in the room, which could easily shoot him again, and the blood dripping from his leg. 

“He committed treason, and he will be punished,” False stated. “But no worries, alright? You won’t be punished either if you just tell me where he is.” 

“Alright then.” Beef finally let out his smile when he saw the white streaks of hair. “Right above you.” 

Before False could react, a splash potion landed on her head, shattering into shards at the impact. Her knees dropped, letting go of her weapon and clutching her neck, but all in slow motion. In a flash, Etho let himself fall onto her shoulders, then simply jumping off effortlessly and landing by Beef’s side. 

False attempted to get back up again, but the ninja just as swiftly took another splash potion, one with a different hue and shade in color, and threw it on the ground beneath her, the particles mixing with the Turtlemaster’s. Together, they wove into a dark violet mist and surrounded False in a haze. 

“Sorry, False,” Etho apologized. Ignoring the particles, he crouched down, gently took her arms, and dragged her to one of the nearby poles. Out of nowhere, he revealed a long rope, wrapped it around her arms and the pole, and slowly secured it, being careful not to make it too tight to bruise her wrists. False groaned. The ninja pulled out another potion, then popping the cork. “Here, it’s a healing potion. Now, open wide.” She obeyed, rolling her eyes in slow motion, and Etho let the bright pink liquid fall into her mouth until it was emptied. After hiding the bottle away, the ninja stood back up again and walked back to Beef’s side with a smug look, like he beat Beef in a contest. 

Which he is. 

“19.” Beef applauded sarcastically, which was immediately followed by a groan. “19 times you saved me this season.” 

“That’s 2 ahead of yours.” Etho sing-songed, and offered his hand. Instead of taking it, Beef gestured to his injured leg, which the ninja promptly attended to. 

“Yeah yeah yeah, only because you said you ‘saved’ yourself in the Upside Down even though it was  _ I _ who _ — _ OW!” The butcher yelped in pain, unable to finish his statement. He could feel the blood slowly slipping out of the wound. 

“Why do you sound so surprised?” Etho chortled, in an obscure and vague way Beef couldn’t put his finger on. He couldn’t tell it was fondly or hilarity, probably both. “You know what was gonna happen.” 

“Well, I don’t know man! You did it so fas _ — _ OW OW OW OW OK THAT REALLY HURT DUDE”

Etho threw the arrows over his shoulder. “Wow, dude. You’re starting to sound like Pause,” he said in a playful tone. 

“Maybe it’s because we go through the same pain from being your friend.” 

“I can’t blame you.” The ninja tugged at his stained apron, his gloved and yet bloodied hands smudged another spot to the collection. “Now, you don’t mind if I?” 

“Do what you need to do,” Beef grunted back. He knew it wouldn’t be much of a problem.  _ I could get another one from his ender chest when I’ll get the chance, _ he thought. 

“Gotcha.” 

After a few minutes of miscalculated jabs at his leg and twice the I’m-sorry-Beefers-I’m-not-the-at-this-kind-of-stuff’s, Etho managed to finally finish up and properly bandage Beef’s wound. 

“There we go,” Etho helped the butcher up on his feet. Steadily, Beef got up, but the pain was still there, aching. It’s probably the jabs. “Now, let’s skedaddle out of here. K is still in the building.” 

“Keralis? He’s here?” Maybe the butcher shouldn’t have sounded so surprised when he heard his name ( _ Did Keralis volunteered?  _ Beef wondered, but he shook his head). Even though they were on better terms than before, he kinda wanted to avoid the so-called sweet man. He still felt a little uncomfortable since the Carlos incident. 

“Yeah,” Etho tapped his thigh. “Saw him while I was scouting when your butt was being kicked by False-” Beef huffed loudly “-He was just camping in my storage room for some time, then headed out.”

“Alright, so let’s get going then.”

“First, do me a favor drink a potion of healing, will you? The bandage alone won’t help as much. Don’t be so careless. That’s what got you caught in the first place.” It wasn’t every day you’d find a sassy/worried Etho, was it?

“Hey! I’m not careless,” Beef half-blurted, half-gasped. Nevertheless, he took Etho’s orders and grabbed the healing potion from his pocket. The cork came off with a little  _ pop.  _ “It was your creaky floor that got me-”

_ Creak.  _ Not too long, the sound of footsteps echoed the hall ahead of them. 

“Falsie? Where are you?” 

The accent was sweet and soft and absolutely unmistakable. 

“That’s definitely K,” Etho said in a low, hushed tone. “Hurry up and finish the potion, Beefers. We’ve got to go.” 

Beef quickly gulped down the liquid, a feeling of relief and replenishment washing over him. Though, he wasn't even able to enjoy the refreshing feeling nor to put the bottle away, as Etho quickly took ahold of the butcher’s wrist, and began sprinting the other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song recs:  
> ベッドルームの夢 (L.p. Edit) - Lovely Summer Chan  
> Inochi No Kioku - cover by Kenji Kondo  
> Tabidachi nishi e - cover by Cat Trumpet  
> The Dragon Boy - cover by Streaming Music Studios  
> Nausicaa of the Valley of The Wind - cover by Celestial Alignment, Frozen Silence


End file.
